As The Architect in “Matrix Reloaded” once said, “The first matrix I designed was quite naturally perfect. It was a work of art. Flawless. Sublime.” But did you know the real architects of the Matrix were born in Chicago?

The popularity of folk music in Illinois can be traced back to the folk and gospel musician that Carl Sandburg described as “America’s mightiest ballad singer.” Illinois’ own Burl Ives was born this day in 1909.

Burl Ives was born in Hunt City, a small town in Jasper County, as one of seven siblings in a farming family. Ives took to singing early and would perform in public, either alone or with his siblings. As a teen, he learned to play guitar and banjo, and learned scores of English, Irish, and Scottish folk ballads passed down through his family over their years in the United States.

Frank Lloyd Wright is known as the pioneer of Prairie Style architecture, and many of his famous buildings are right here in Illinois, including his own home and studio in Oak Park. He was born on this day in 1867.

Wright grew up in southwestern Wisconsin, but by age 20, he had arrived in Chicago, where his childhood love of nature collided with the unique life of the city. He landed a job at the Adler & Sullivan firm, and his time working with Louis Sullivan, known for his organic and fluid style, inspired Wright’s own abstract designs he is known for.

Famed actor Michael Peña has taken on a wide variety of roles throughout his entire career such as a comedic superhero sidekick and a mysterious as well as creepy hotel host. But did you know that he is a Chicago native?

A staple at any carnival or fair is the Ferris wheel, but did you know that the Ferris wheel is over 120 years old?